


Of Birds and Women

by AvocadoHaught



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Champ's Wife isn't named, F/F, Of Mice and Men AU, Warning- Major Character Death will ensue, this isn't going to have a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 03:44:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11751348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvocadoHaught/pseuds/AvocadoHaught
Summary: Waverly Earp and Nicole Haught are travelling ranch hands in the Great Depression, forced out of town because of their relationship. When one of them gets brain damage due to a bullet, the other takes it upon themselves to look after them.AU- Of Mice and Men. I wanted to see what each character would be like, specifically Nicole, who is our Lennie as she is the taller and (possibly) stronger of the two.





	Of Birds and Women

_All Waverly Earp could feel was her legs burning. She and Nicole were running for their lives. She knew people in the south had other ideas about what a loving relationship should be, but she hadn’t realised it would be this bad. Especially when her lover had tried her best to be one of the men. She had even shortened her name, just to keep up the facade.  
And now, Waverly Earp and Nicole- or Cole Haught were running. Hand in hand, through forests and meadows, as men with bloodhounds and rifles ran after them- pursuing them. She knew if they got caught they were gonna be shot. Or lynched. Or both. She feared for their lives. _

“ _Come on, Waverly! Keep movin’, darlin! You have to keep runnin’!” Cole shouted, as Waverly felt her lungs burn for air. “Keep on, baby! Come on!” She wasn’t afraid to say she loved Nicole. But when the men saw it as an abomination, you can see why she thought to keep quiet.  
“Jesus, Cole… I can’t do it.” Nicole came to a halt, as Waverly did- sucking in breath. She pushed Waverly ahead of herself as she heard the awful crack of a gun shot._

 

That was the day Waverly lost Nicole. Nicole wasn’t there any more. A gunshot wound to the side of the head- breaking part of her skull and inciting brain damage- ensured that. Nicole was now Cole Haught. Who thought that Waverly was like the momma she never had. Cole, who thought that animals were ‘sure purty’. Cole, who accidentally killed their cat- Jane- by petting it too heavily.

Cole who was now trailing behind Waverly as she walked down the beaten road, towards a small town at the edge of the Ghost River County. A town named after the Devil’s play court. _Purgatory._

As for Waverly, when she was forced to become a travelling ranch hand, she went by the name Lee. It was the easiest man’s name to make of her own name. She loved her name, but it wouldn’t do to keep it like that when she was trying to get work. Women didn’t work. Men did. So she was Lee and Nicole became Cole. And being Cole was all the redhead knew now. In that sense, Nicole Haught was truly gone.

She felt the taller girl start to trudge behind her and she spied a small lake. Veering off the road, at the very least to cool herself off in the scorching sun, she knelt by the bank. Nicole followed in her stead, but decided on dipping her face in the lake and moving it around, blowing bubbles and laughing to herself.  
  
“Cole, don’t do that. You’ll get your clothes all dirty! And we ain’t got time to wash ‘em.” She said sharply. It was the only tone that Nicole could understand without ignoring. She raised her head to look at Waverly, and then back to the water, giggling as she saw the ripples in the water that her face had created.  
  
“Look Lee! I made the water move!” She dipped her fingers in and watched the ripples. It was at times like this that she missed _her_ Nicole. The Nicole here couldn’t understand the feeling she had for Waverly any more. She knew she loved Waverly, but not in what capacity. She knew that she was sticking by Waverly, but she didn’t understand why she did all the time.  
  
The Nicole that Waverly used to know had been there to protect her. And that’s what she had done. If she hadn’t pushed Waverly along, it’d be Waverly with the brain damage. And sometimes, Waverly wondered if that would have been better. If she’d become like Cole was. Because Nicole was too kind hearted and would still protect her. But Nicole didn’t understand why she protected Waverly now.  
  
The last ranch hand that threatened to lay a finger on Waverly, got the finger bent back by a growling Nicole. It had taken Waverly cupping her cheek for her to let go. So they had to leave again. _You’re a woman,_ they had said, _you can’t work the land like a man!_

So they left. They went to another county. And it was how they found themselves here. Waverly sighed, turning to the rucksack she had brought along. She pulled out a small can of beans. This would feed her and Cole until the morning. Gathering twigs and flint, she was quick to make a fire- as she had done plenty of times before.  
  
“Lee?” Cole turned to Waverly- her excitement over the water having washed over- to pardon the pun. In turning around, she put out the fire with her wet clothes. Waverly growled under her breath in frustration, as she gathered a dry set of twigs and relit it. “Lee?” Nicole asked again. Waverly looked over at her.  
  
“What Cole?” She asked. She knew she sounded impatient but she couldn’t help it sometimes. Her 27 year old lover was gone, and in her place was a 7 year old in a woman’s body, who liked to ask tons of questions… over, and over, and over again.  
  
“Where are we going again?” She asked, on her knees. Waverly sighed. Not this goddamn question again… she put the tin on the fire, looking over at Nicole. She really was like a seven year old, right down to the fiddling of her fingers against the hem of the shirt she was wearing, and the sitting on her heels like one too.  
  
“You forgot again, huh?” She dug into the bag and pulled out a small wad of paper. She smiled. “We went to Shorty’s and he gave us work down at the ranch by Purgatory. The one with the owner called Nedley?” She asked, trying to jog Nicole’s memory. She knew it would come any second. “We got our papers.”  
  
“Oh! I remember now! I remember.” She smiled. She felt around her pockets, but to no avail. “I ain’t got my papers though, Lee. I musta lost ‘em!” She panicked for a second.  
  
“You think I’d let you lose ‘em. I got ‘em both, Ni- Cole.” She grimaced at her slip up but the redhead seemed not to notice. Nicole nodded and turned back to the lake. Waverly watched every movement and saw her pull something from her pocket. Oh shit, not again.  
  
“Cole, what have you got there?” Nicole turned her head to frown in confusion at Waverly. “You took something outta your pocket.” She pushed off of the floor to get to where Nicole was knelt by the water. Nicole stood up. She pulled out the lining of the pocket, as if to show Waverly it was empty, despite holding something in her hand.  
  
“Nothin’. I ain’t got nothin’ in my pocket, Lee.” She said. Her eyes were innocent and Waverly felt a stab of guilt as she schooled her features into a stern frown.  
  
“Give me what you have in your hand.” She held out her own hand. When Nicole cradled the object closer to her chest, Waverly sighed. She hated herself for doing this- but it had to be done. She walked right over to where the taller redhead was and pulled the small object from her fingers. It was a bird. A bird whose neck was hanging slightly. She looked at Waverly.  
  
“I promise it wasn’t me killed it, Lee! I found it dead...” Nicole said softly.  
  
“Do not lie to me. This is a dead bird, Cole. They carry disease. They’re vermin! Especially these types of birds. Don’t lie to me!” She said, trying not to show the sadness in her voice at making Nicole look down at her shoes like a naught child would. She breathed.  
  
“But I just wanted to pet him, Lee. That’s all I wanted to do.” She said, looking up at Waverly and she had to swallow the lump that formed in her throat at the thought of what she had to do to teach Nicole this was wrong. Christ, she never thought she’d have to teach Nicole, to have to mother her. Especially when the Nicole she had met had travelled far and wide and was as clever as Waverly was.  
  
“You ain’t pettin’ no dead bird when you’re with me. You understand?” She asked, launching her hand back to throw the bird far away. Immediately she realised that Nicole wasn’t going to take this lightly. Immediately, the redhead dropped to her knees and started sobbing. Waverly bit her lip to stop herself from letting the tears gathering in her eyes from falling. She dropped down on Nicole’s level.  
  
“Look at you, eh? Crying over a dead bird. It was dead. I wasn’t takin’ it away from you outta meanness. I didn’t want you to get sick. That bird wasn’t nice.” When she realised that Nicole wasn’t going to stop sobbing, she sighed, putting her hand on the taller woman’s shoulder. “I’ll getcha a mouse next time, how’s about that? You can pet that little thing all day long if you want to.”  
  
“But there are no mouses!” Nicole sobbed. Waverly smelled burning and immediately pulled off her jacket, using it to pull the tin from the fire.  
  
“I’ll find you a mouse, Cole. In the town. I’ll find you a mouse and I’ll let you keep him a little while. We’ll find a man who sells ‘em. A man who sells lots of mice.” She reasoned.  
  
“But the lady stopped givin’ me mouses, Lee! She don’t give ‘em no more.” Waverly felt her patience on thin ice, but she couldn’t bring herself to snap at Nicole. So she let her sob.  
  
“The lady was Mrs Tate. Remember. We worked on their ranch? She stopped givin’ ‘em because you killed ‘em all. You petted too hard.” She explained. Nicole’s tear streaked face looked at Waverly for a second. “But I’ll look. Tell you what. I’ll look for a dog man instead. I’ll getcha a puppy?” She tried to compromise.  
  
“A cat. I wanna have a cat, Lee.” Nicole looked up at Waverly. Waverly nodded.  
  
“I’ll getcha a cat then.”  
  
“And we’ll call it Janey!” Nicole practically squealed in excitement.  
  
“Sure.”

Waverly cracked open the can of beans. She pulled out the two small woodchip bowls she brought with her and divided the tin equally between both.  
  
“We got ketchup, Lee?” Nicole asked softly, looking down at the beans. Waverly threw the tin to the side, grabbing a small stale loaf from a few towns back out and using the lid of the tin to cut at it.  
  
“Nope. Not a drop.” She said, slicing the bread.  
  
“But I can only eat my beans with ketchup, Lee! Otherwise I get sick and I can’t eat ‘em.” She fibbed. Her face filled with a quiet sense of anticipation for whether Waverly was going to believe her little white lie.  
  
“That’s a lie and you know it. You’ve eaten beans the last five days and I haven’t seen nothing wrong with you. So eat your beans.” She said, shoving the bowl and makeshift spoon towards Nicole.  
  
“But I need ketchup!” She folded her arms, about to tantrum. Waverly needed to release some of the pent up frustration, so she stood, and kicked a branch into a tree. It was like this every time. Nicole would ask for ketchup, she would reply that they hadn’t got any and Nicole would tantrum until she finally conceded.  
  
“Goddammit, Nicole! Just eat the goddamn beans and be grateful we have dinner! You always ask for things we haven’t got and then tantrum when you don’t get it! I ain’t got no goddamn ketchup.” She realised her outburst of anger was too much, as she looked at Nicole.  
  
“I eat beans without ketchup.” Nicole said softly, picking up the bowl. Waverly sighed.  
  
“I wish you would! God, life would be so much easier without you arguing with me all hours of the day.” She sighed, leaning her arm on the tree and resting her forehead in the small crook of her elbow.  
  
“If life is easier without me, Lee, I’ll go.” Nicole stood, playing with her shirt. “I’ll go.” She repeated, moving to stand and walking away from the small camp they made.  
  
“Nicole, get your ass back here. You ain’t doing me any favours messin’ like this.” She said, hands on hips. But Nicole wasn't hearing her protests- too busy in her determined little world.  
  
“I’ll go...” Nicole was busy repeating to herself. Waverly looked over at her small camp and back to the retreating body of Nicole. She walked over to the red head and pulled her back.  
  
“Look. I didn’t mean that. Come sit down and have your beans.” She said, gripping Nicole’s hand as the taller woman allowed herself to be lead back to the fire.

 

* * *

 

“Lee?” A tired hum erupted from Waverly’s mouth as she leaned against her backpack. “Tell me about the Homestead again. And what happens when we find Nonie.” She asked. It was dark and Waverly really wanted to sleep but she could never deny Nicole the one thing she asked for right before she went to sleep.  
  
“You want to hear about the homestead and Wynonna again?” She asked. Nicole nodded, eagerly. She sat up straight to hear. “Okay… gals like us don’t come from nothin’..” She started.

 

“ _Waverly!” She called. She looked around. Where was she? She walked around the Earp land again, trying to find her little sister. “Waves! I made dinner!” She called. “I know, it’s a first for me, but I need you to taste it, make sure it’s not poisoned!” She called, not expecting her joke to fall on deaf ears.  
  
As she rounded the path, she walked towards the barn. She couldn’t hear anything on the land, save for the rustling of the hay or the clucks of the chickens. Pushing the door to the barn open, she sighed when she had seen that her little sister was curled on her side, on the hay. Exhaustion clear on her face.  
  
She saw movement as he walked closer, and saw an equally exhausted looking Nicole laying next to Waverly. She sighed, laughing to herself. She spotted a small journal in her sister’s hand. It was embossed with N.Haught. She opened it. She found herself face to face with Waverly’s handwriting._

 

**Gals like us, we don’t come from nothing. We have a start in life. And we’re gonna get a ranch, bigger than this one. Bigger than anything around here. We’re gonna have a homestead to call our own. Land. Acres and acres of it. We ain’t never gonna get tired of the land we love. We’ll have some little rap scallions running about the place. We’re gonna have so much love in our little family that we won’t want for nothing. We’ll work the land. We’ll sell our crop, and bring a hefty share back in. We’ll never go hungry again. We’ll have a dog named Bernie, and a cat named Calamity… we won’t never be lonely or sad. We’ll have a barn for the animals, and we’ll teach em everything. We’ll train dogs. And we’ll ride horses. I’ll teach and look after Bernie.  
We’ll be married. In that little barn. Cole Haught and Waverly Earp will become Cole and Waverly Haught. I promise you, we’ll get there, Waves. Because you love me, and I love you, Waverly Earp...**

**\- Nicole Haught, 12.03.29**

 

_Wynonna read the pages, realising that Waverly had captured everything that Nicole had said to her about what they would be, and had written it. She put the book down, before she retreated back to the house, only to return a few moments later with blankets to cover the two in._

 

_Waverly always repeated the passage to Cole._

 

 

Waverly stopped her story and sighed.  
  
“We’re gonna have a barn just like that! And I’m gonna look after Bernie!” Nicole said, excitedly. Waverly pushed her cap up from her eyes and eyed Nicole.  
  
“Yes.” She got up and looked around the small bit of forest they found themselves in. “Cole, I want you to promise me something.” Nicole nodded her head quickly. “If you ever get in trouble, you come here to this forest and this patch and you wait for me here, understand?” She asked.  
  
“I… I understand, Lee.” She said softly. Waverly nodded.

“Good, but you won’t get in no trouble cos otherwise, you’re not gonna get Bernie. Much less teach him and look after him!” She warned. Nicole nodded.  
  
“I promise to come and hide here if I get in trouble, Lee. But I won’t get in trouble!” Waverly nodded again. She sat back down on the floor and looked over at Nicole.  
  
“Now, it’s late, Nicole. Go to sleep.”  
  
“Okay. Okay. I go to sleep now.” Nicole curled up in a ball, closing her eyes. Waverly sighed, pulling out one of the blankets from the day she had fallen asleep with Nicole, and woken to find herself in a blanket that Wynonna had left them. She also pulled out Nicole’s journal, flicking to the page of their dreams and realising she missed out a few words. She thought she had committed it completely to memory...

She inhaled the scent of the blanket. It smelled like how Nicole used to smell. She sighed, sniffing and letting tears fall from her eyes. Nicole may still be alive, but it did not mean that her Nicole wasn’t gone for good. So she allowed herself- same as every night- a few minutes to grieve. A few minutes to recollect the memories, before laying the blanket over Nicole and watching her curl up to it, and then watch her for a couple minutes, hoping that the scent of her lover wouldn’t fade away into the smell of dead animals that accompanied Cole.

 

* * *

 

Dogs barked and howled as Waverly and Nicole made it through the gates of Hardy Ranch. Nicole trailed behind, as always. But as soon as she saw the dogs, she rushed to pet them, only to have one try to snap at her hand.  
  
“Hey, Cole! Move away. Don’t let him do that. Leave ‘em!” Waverly pulled Nicole back, as an older lady made herself known through the bushes. She used a cane to help her walk- but she seemed in peak condition otherwise. Her own dog trailed behind her. The canines kept barking.  
  
“Badger! Quit it!” She stamped her foot and immediately the barking stopped. She looked over at Waverly and Nicole, who was trying to push past Waverly to get to the dogs. “Can I help you?” She asked. Nicole stopped pushing, looking to see where the voice had come from. Waverly adjusted her bag.  
  
“We’re here to work. We have papers. We need to see the boss.” Waverly said. She didn’t have time to mince words, especially if they didn’t take her papers here. She didn’t want to waste her time if they didn’t want the workers.  
  
“I’ll take you to ‘em. I’m Gus. Short for Augusta but everyone has a man’s name here. Even the women.” She explained. “But the bosses expected you here last night.” She carried on.  
  
“Goddamn man at the paper office told us it was half a mile away. We ended up walking 3 miles before it got dark and another mile to get here this morning.” Waverly explained.  
  
“Ah. Look at that… Dolls is out early!” Gus said, pointing to a stocky black man. He was pulling a very disobedient horse. “His nickname comes from all the stupid little dolls of Christ he has. Says he needs ‘em to pray.” Gus said, as she looked at the ranch they had come up to. “Boss is in there.” She said, before turning on her heel and walking away.

“Let me do the talking, okay, Cole. Don’t say anything.” Nicole nodded her head.  
  
“I won’t, Lee.”

 

* * *  
  
“You was supposed to be here this morning to work. Why weren’t you?” The gruff voice asked. Mr Nedley asked.  
  
“We had to walk miles more than we were told, we had to stop and make camp last night, sir.” Waverly explained. Mr Nedley looked up at her.  
  
“I don’t give a shit about whether you were misdirected, Mr-?”  
  
“Earp. Lee Earp. And this here’s Cole Haught.” She said. Nedley spooned some of his breakfast into his mouth and chewed.  
  
“Experience on ranches?”  
  
“Three years.”  
  
“Him too?”  
  
“Yes sir.”  
  
“He don’t talk much, does he?” Nedley pointed his spoon directly at Nicole, who started fidgeting under his watchful gaze.  
  
“No, sir. But he’s strong as an ox. Can do anything. Just give the word.”  
  
“Ox...” Nicole repeated with a small little chuckle. Waverly elbowed her softly to shut her up and focused back onto Nedley, who looked as if he was about to kick Nicole.  
  
“Why do you care about him then? You takin’ his pay off of him?” Nedley asked.  
  
“No, sir. I’m his… cousin. He got kicked by a mule as a kid and I promised to look after him and I take care of him when he needs it.”  
  
“Fine. Don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes though. You’ll soon regret it.” Nedley said. “Now catch the team after dinner.”

 

* * *

 

Waverly and Nicole followed Gus the short distance to the bunkhouse. She showed them to their beds and looked at them.  
  
“Last guys that had those beds were a blacksmith and a slaughter house worker. Have fun in them.” Gus bustled about at her own bed. Waverly sat down on one of the beds, looking around. Nicole watched her and copied her- sitting on the bed that had been deemed hers by Gus.  
  
“Why do you do that, Cole. It’s unnervin’!” Waverly asked. Nicole turned her head to see who Waverly was talking to before realising she was talking to her.  
  
“Why did you say I got kicked in head by a mule? I never got that done, Lee!” Nicole questioned. Waverly rolled her eyes, laying down on her bunk with one leg crossed over the other.  
  
“Because it woulda been easier if you had been kicked in the head with a mule.” She placed her cap over her eyes.  
  
“But you said I was your cousin.”  
  
“Well you ain’t.” She said. Waverly looked over at Gus, who was sat, with her old dog curled on her lap. “Old dog you got there.” She commented. Gus smiled.  
  
“Curtis has been with me since he was a pup. Always liked to steal my tomato plants.” Gus said softly, opening a small box and feeding him one. Waverly got up and looked around.

“Gus!” A man’s voice shouted, as a young man stepped into the bunk house. “Seen my old man?” He asked. Gus looked at him.  
  
“He’s up at the house, Champ.” She answered. He nodded, before laying his eyes on the newcomers. He walked around the table to them. His eyes were on Nicole the whole time and Waverly felt a sense of unease wash over her.  
  
“You the new recruits?” He asked.  
  
“Yeah. Came in from a couple of towns away-” Waverly was cut off as Champ’s hand raised.  
  
“Let the big man talk.” He looked over at Nicole, who frowned in confusion, before fidgeting- becoming uncomfortable.  
  
“What if he don’t want to.” Waverly said.  
  
“What the hell is it to you?” Champ retorted, sharply.  
  
“He’s my cousin. We’re travellin’ together.” She stated.  
  
“Oh so it’s that way. And you won’t let the big fella speak for his self?” Champ folded his arms, still looking at Nicole funny. Nicole blew out her cheeks before opening her mouth- not knowing what to say. Waverly nodded at her.  
  
“We just come in.” Was all she could say. She smiled proudly, at having said the right thing. Regularly, Waverly would have let her rare half smile show at the sight of Nicole’s full and toothy smile. But with a threatening presence, all she could feel was annoyance towards the man in front of Nicole. But it was enough for Champ. He smiled, a patronising smile- all teeth. He moved towards Nicole, until he was right up in her face.  
  
“Next time, when I ask you a question, you answer the goddamn question.” He spat, before striding out of the bunkhouse. Waverly let out a breath.  
  
“What the sweet Jesus! Coley didn’t do nothin’ to him!” Waverly was ready to blow her gasket. Gus put her hands on her shoulders.  
  
“Woah there girl. Calm.” Waverly’s eyebrows raised. “I know you’re both girls. And I know you want to keep it just us. But shouting all rage like a woman scorned ain’t gonna do you no favours.” She said. “He’s the boss’ son in law. He’s got a small problem with his size against other men. Feels the need to assert some type of stupid dominance over ‘em all. Learnt to be handy with his fists. He can take down a bull in eight seconds, the shit bag.”

“Well, he’s gonna get himself hurt around Cole. She ain’t handy.” Waverly said.  
  
“Come and see this...” Gus beckoned her out as they watched Champ shouting at some ranch hands who had just returned with a horse and cart full of hay bales. “His glove there. Says he’s keeping that hand soft for his wife so he filled it with vaseline.” Gus looked at Waverly.  
  
“Pig.” She grunted.  
  
“Come on, girly...” She called for Waverly and Nicole to follow. Nicole tried to follow Gus but Waverly grabbed her.  
  
“See the man who came into the bunk house a moment ago?” She asked. Nicole nodded. “He’s gonna try and cause trouble for you, but you need to stay away, okay?” She asked.  
  
“But I… I don’t want no trouble. You said I was bad for getting trouble.” Waverly nodded.  
  
“Stay ‘way from him then.”  
  
“Okay, Lee.”

Waverly walked back into the Bunkhouse to see a woman in there. She spotted Waverly and Nicole and smiled.  
  
“I’m lookin’ for Champ.” She said. Waverly raised her eyebrow. Were all of the boss’ people rude?  
  
“He was here. He just left.” Waverly replied, opening her bindle. She spied over to Nicole, who was stood, as if she were approaching a beast for the first time. Waverly clicked her fingers, and Nicole looked at her.  
  
“Hey, unpack your bindle.” She instructed, and Nicole walked over to her bed. Champ’s woman remained. She looked outside.  
  
“Sometimes Champie’s in here...” She gushed, playing with her dress. Nicole had once again become distracted. Waverly turned to her and pushed her tongue to her teeth, whistling and looking at Nicole, who unrolled her bindle once she saw the sharp tilt of Waverly's head.  
  
“Well, Champ ain’t here now.”  
  
“Guess I should look someplace else...” She said, smiling. She hadn’t moved and Waverly could feel her patience wearing thin.  
  
“I’ll tell him you were looking when I see him.”  
  
“You can’t blame a gal for lookin’.” She said. Waverly stared at her for the longest time before the woman left. Nicole was once again distracted.

“Cole!” Waverly snapped her out of it.  
  
“She’s purdy….” Nicole said. Waverly ignored the sharp pain to her chest as the words fell from Nicole’s mouth. Schooling herself again- she reminded herself that this wasn’t her Nicole. Her Nicole was dead. She sighed.  
  
“You listen here, Nicole. You can’t look at her, otherwise that big man who came in is gonna sock you.” Nicole immediately covered her face like she was about to be hit in the face.  
  
“No! No sock! I don’t want to be socked, Lee!”

“Then keep away from that woman, understand?” Nicole nodded. Waverly started to roll out her bindle as a mattress. She ignored the pang of pain- of pure guilt- again, when she heard Nicole mumble.  
  
“I don’t like this place...”

 

* * *

 

The taste of the broth was the best thing Waverly had eaten in months. As she and Nicole ate, a man sat down next to her.  
  
“You the new guys?” He asked. Waverly could tell he was from around here. She nodded. “I’m John Henry. But everyone calls me Doc in these parts.” He said, digging into his broth.  
  
“I’m Lee Earp, this is Cole Haught.” She introduced Doc to them. She took another spoonful of broth.  
  
“Travellin’ together?” Waverly nodded. “Good. Always good to have someone… what are you doin’ after lunch?” Doc asked.  
  
“Buckin’ barley.” Waverly answered.

 

* * *

 

After a hard afternoon’s work, Doc and Waverly were currently playing poker, using small buttons as the payment. Gus was sat reading, with Curtis the dog on her leg. Nicole sat on the bed too, patting Curtis’head.  
  
“Don’t pat him too hard, Cole, or you’ll hurt him.” Nicole instantly stopped patting the dog, pulling her hand up to her chest with her other one, looking to Waverly- scared she had hurt the old dog.  
  
“I didn’t hurt him, Lee, I swear I didn’t!” She said, looking at the dog.  
  
“I know. I’m jus’ tellin’ you.” Nicole nodded. “She loves textures. Anything soft and she pets it until she’s bored.” Waverly laid down her cards. “Royal flush.” She said. Doc smiled. Nicole went back to patting the dog once more. The door opened to reveal three men.  
  
“Doc. Who’s these men?” One of them asked.  
  
“These guys just came in. This here one’s Lee and that one’s Cole. Lee, Cole, this is Robert- we call him Bobo. That one’s Levi, and that’s Fish.” He pointed to each man and Waverly stood to shake every hand offered to her.

“Say, Doc, how’s your bitch? I saw she weren’t underneath your cart today.” Levi asked, taking a seat in between Waverly and Doc.  
  
“No, old bitch had her pups last night. All ten. But I had to drown a few. Ain’t got that much for them to have.” He said, shuffling the deck of cards to deal the other three men in. “But the others were strong. Gonna be good sheepdogs.”  
  
“Hey, Gus, how do you feel about replacing old Curtis with a new, young pup!” Bobo asked. Gus stroked Curtis’ head.  
  
“Leave my Curtis outta your schemin’!” She called back.  
  
A horn sounded.  
  
“Dinner!” Doc yelled as the four men scrambled out of the door. Nicole walked up to Waverly and hovered.

“Lee?” She asked, playing with her overalls. she was practically bouncing, her smile returning in full.  
  
“Yeah, I heard. Doc has a few pups. We can ask him. After dinner.”  
  
“I want a black an’ white one!” Nicole said, excitedly.  
  
“I don’t know whether he has one of them. But I’ll ask him after dinner.”  
  
“Right away Lee, cos you gotta make sure he don’t drown no more.” She said, bouncing after Waverly. Champ busted through the door.

“Where’s my wife? Seen her?”  
  
“She was here a while ago.”  
  
“Well where’d she go?”  
  
“I don’t know.”  
  
Champ let out a half growl of annoyance at Waverly, before leaving.  
  
“Pig...” She grumbled.

 

* * *

  
Life on the ranch became normal after a week and a half and Waverly and Nicole found themselves a nice routine. They’d wake, do their work, play cards with the boys- or Waverly would- while Nicole would sit in the barn with the puppies.

Waverly returned back to the bunk house, with Doc in tow.  
  
“Thanks for lettin’ her stay in there with ‘em a little longer.”

“No worries, I’d have had to have drowned ‘em all. At least they’re gettin’ some fuss.” Doc said, sitting at the table. “So where’d you two come from..?” He asked, shuffling the cards.  
  
“We was both born in the same town.” Waverly sighed. She looked around the bunk. “I can’t really tell you… it’ll mean a lynch mob.” She said.  
  
“I promise you can confide in me. Nobody’s gonna hear a peep outta me about it.” Waverly nodded.  
  
“Fancy a walk then?” Doc nodded, as they left the bunkhouse.

 

They walked around the ranch. “Me and Cole ain’t from around these parts. We was born in the same town. My sister and I owned a ranch and Cole signed on as a ranch hand.” Waverly sighed as they reached a fence. “I fell in love with Cole. First time I ever laid eyes on... _him._ ” She said, trying to remember herself.  
  
“You fell for another man.” She listened out for the distain in the sentence but found none.  
  
“There’s the difference. I ain’t a man. But I want to work and I don’t want to be treated different ‘cos I’m a girl.”  
  
“I knew I liked you for a reason. And Cole… what happened?”  
  
“The town didn’t like the fact I fell for _him_ and they chased us, with shotguns and rifles. They got her with a bullet, smashed some of her skull. Brain damage. And now she can’t remember what I am to her or anything. She’s like a child now. But I love her. And I can’t leave her.”  
  
Doc’s hand found her shoulder.  
  
“So what’s your proper name, cos I doubt a girl was born _Lee?”_ Doc asked. Waverly looked at him.  
  
“Waverly. So I was technically born a Lee. It just happens to be on the end of my name.”  
  
“Waverly is a beautiful name. And Cole, what’s her real name?” Looking up at Waverly’s surprised face, he added, “You should really watch your slip ups. When you got to talkin’ about her- you said as much. That she was a her.” He told her. “But that’s okay. I don’t like bein’ awful. You bein’ a homosexual is nothin’ to do with me. You love who you love.” He said.  
  
“Nicole. Her momma thought it was a purdy name ‘cos it was French an’ all.” Waverly sighed.

“It is. And I’m sure Cole used to think so too.”

“Thanks. We should probably get back. Promise you won’t tell anyone we’re girls?”  
  
“My sister was a ranch hand on the quiet. Your secret is safe with me.”

 

* * *

 

By the time they got back to the bunkhouse, Nicole was in there, curled up in bed- against the wall. Waverly immediately knew something wasn’t right.  
  
“Cole?” She asked, nearing the bed. Nicole was curled as if she was hiding something, and Waverly was sure she knew what it was Nicole was hiding.  
  
“Yes?” Nicole didn’t turn back around.  
  
“Cole, what are you hiding?” She asked, waiting for Nicole to tell her a lie, or perhaps even the truth- even though that was a slim possibility.  
  
“Nothin’. I ain’t hidin’ nothin’, Lee.” Waverly pulled back Nicole’s blanket and saw her cradling a puppy.  
  
“Not hidin’ anything, my ass.” She took the puppy, as Nicole got up and protested. “I told you to keep ‘em in the barn! They need their mother!” Nicole still tried to take him back. “You let Doc take him back otherwise I’ll tell Doc not to let you have him!”

“Can I take him back? I promise he’ll stay there. Please, please… please...” Nicole asked. Waverly nodded.  
  
“You best come back otherwise I’m coming to find you.” Waverly threatened.  
  
“Okay...” Nicole left in a hurry with the puppy. Waverly sighed.  
  
“She _is_ like a child, ain’t she?” Waverly nodded. “Not to worry. I’ll help you with _him_.”

“Where is everyone?” She asked, sitting on her bunk.  
  
“Horseshoes for another 10 minutes.” Doc said. “Can’t stand it myself. Annoying sport.”  
  
“Hear hear...” Grumbled Gus, petting Curtis.

Silence filled the bunk house as Waverly began to read and Doc began to polish his revolver. Bobo and Levi entered the tent.  
  
“Jesus, the stink from that dog gets worse every night. Gus, why don’t you put the old thing down?”  
  
“I can’t! He’s been my friend through all of the last ten years.” Gus ran her hands along the matted fur.  
  
“That dog can’t do nothin’ any more, Gus. Look...” Bobo walked over. “You just need to aim a shot right there.” He pointed to the back of his head. “And then you’re all done. He won’t feel it.”  
  
“No. I can’t.” Gus nuzzled the dog. Bobo sighed and walked to his bunk.  
  
“Where the hell’s Cole?” Levi asked.  
  
“In the barn with the puppies.” Doc answered.

Bobo crossed back to Gus, with a gun in hand this time.  
  
“I’ll put your dog down for you, McCready.” He said. “It’s about time we had a bunkhouse that didn’t smell of shit.” He said.

Gus looked down at her dog. “But I...” She let out a quick sob, realising that arguing with Bobo when he was set on something was futile. She breathed, before pressing her forehead to Curtis’ and hugging him tightly to her. When she parted with him, she looked at Bobo. “Make it quick, please...” She said. 

"I will." Bobo said, softly, as he clicked his teeth and the old mutt followed him. Before he could pass the table, Waverly's hand found his arm and stopped him in his tracks.

“Bobo. Take a shovel.” Waverly said, quietly. Bobo nodded.

Bobo, Levi and Fish all lead the old dog out of the house. Gus immediately teared up and curled up on her bed, rolling so that she faced the wall. After a few moments of silence, Waverly couldn’t stand it.  
  
“I should really go get Cole.” Waverly said, pushing up from the table, only to be stopped by Doc’s hand on her arm.  
  
“Don’t. She’ll sleep far better in there than in here if you pull her away.” He said. Waverly sat down. As she did, a loud gunshot cracked through the bunkhouse. Gus let out a choked sob, trying to curl inwards on herself even more.

“So, you plannin’ on stayin’, Miss Waverly?” Doc asked.  
  
“Yeah. Me and Cole’s gonna raise a stake.”  
  
“Mr Doc?” A voice sounded. It was the black man from before. Dolls. Doc turned to him and stood up.  
  
“Hey, Dolls, what’s up?” He asked.  
  
“You asked me to bring you some tar for your mule?” He asked, holding up a steaming bucket.  
  
“Oh sure, yeah… I’ll come out and do it in a moment.” Doc smiled at Waverly and looked back at Dolls.  
  
“That tall one’s messin’ with your pups in the barn.” Dolls added. Waverly sighed. She knew Nicole wouldn’t be able to stay away…

 

“ _Waverly… He’s going to be so cute! I told the farmer we could collect him next week if you liked the look of him.” Nicole said softly. Waverly placed her foot in a stirrup on the saddle of her horse, swinging her leg over.  
  
“Baby, we don’t have room yet. We need room for a dog. Wynonna’s not home yet.” She said softly, as she watched Nicole climb onto her own horse, as they both clicked their horses into action.  
  
As they walked slowly through the field- checking for any signs of bandits- Nicole kept glancing at Waverly.  
  
“But it’s a puppy Waves...” She pleaded. Waverly let out a small, short laugh.  
  
“Next you’ll be tellin’ me ‘it’s a horsie, Waverly... we gotta have a horsie, darlin'” Waverly mimicked her lover and looked over at Nicole.  
  
“I promise I’ll make it worth your while...” Nicole raised her eyebrows suggestively.  
__  
“Oh yeah?”_

“ _Yeah.”  
__  
“Well then, Cowgirl, let’s go get us a puppy..."_

 

“He don’t mean no harm, Dolls.” Doc said.  
  
“I just thought I’d tell ya, he’s man handlin’ ‘em.” He said. Doc nodded and followed the stable man out. As they left, Levi came back. He grunted, sitting at the table.  
  
“Hey, Levi, you seen Champ’s wife? She come lookin’ for him a lot?” Waverly asked. Bobo looked up.  
  
“Yeah. She can be a real annoying bitch when she wants to be. Always askin’. But I think she’s goin’ astray. She has the eye...” He said.  
  
“The eye?” Waverly asked. Levi sniffed, pulling out a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it.  
  
“Yeah. She looks at other men… two weeks married and my wife looked at men the way that damn bitch does, I’d have shot her dead by now.” Levi said, taking a long drag.  
  
Nicole and Bobo entered the bunk house. Nicole immediately walked over to her bunk, laying down. Waverly watched her every step until she was laying down. Bobo made not move to go near Gus.

“Champ been in?” Bobo asked. Waverly and Levi shook their heads. “Stupid bitch just tried to corner me again. He needs to get a hold of his lady...”

“You seen my wife?” Champ’s booming voice asked as he stomped into the room.  
  
“No.” Bobo said, lowly. It was clear the amount of loathing Bobo had for Champ.

“I bet she’s with that womanizing piece of shit!” He yelled, leaving.  
  
“Who?” Waverly asked.  
  
“That’s what he calls Doc.” Levi filled her in. She rolled her eyes.  
  
“He really thinks his wife’s playing with Doc?” She asked. The men nodded their heads.  
  
“Well I want to watch Doc kick his ass.” Bobo stood. Levi followed as they left the house again.  
  
“Lee?” Nicole’s voice rang out.  
  
“What Cole?” Waverly asked.  
  
“Can you tell me the story again. Homestead one?” She asked.  
  
“Alright...” Waverly got comfy on the bed, and sat up. She saw Gus turn a fraction around.  
  
“Gals like us, we don’t come from nothing. We have a start in life. And we’re gonna get a ranch, bigger than this one. Bigger than anything around here. We’re gonna have a homestead to call our own. Land. Acres and acres of it. We ain’t never gonna get tired of the land we love. We’ll have some little rap scallions running about the place. We’re gonna have so much love in our little family that we won’t want for nothing. We’ll work the land. We’ll sell our crop, and bring a hefty share back in. We’ll never go hungry again. We’ll have a dog named Bernie, and a cat named Calamity… we won’t never be lonely or sad. We’ll have a barn for the animals, and we’ll teach em everything. We’ll train dogs. And we’ll ride horses. You’ll teach and look after Bernie-”  
  
“Yeah! I could! I’ll teach that damn dog everything I know...” Nicole interjected. Waverly couldn’t help but smile. “What about the house...”  
  
“It’ll be tall, and wooden. And we’ll build memories in it with our bare hands.” Gus had rolled back over, listening to every word that Waverly said. “There’ll be a little stove to warm us up in the winter and if we got tired we could take the day to just enjoy our selfs.” Waverly said.  
  
“You know a place like that?” Gus whispered.  
  
“Supposin’ I do? Why do you care?” Waverly asked.

“Well, I wouldn’t… because it could be anywhere. But… how much would they be wantin’ for a place like that?” Waverly breathed, mulling it over.  
  
“Say around six hundred bucks. The old lady sellin’ needs an operation. Why? What’s it to you? You don’t know us too well and we don’t know you.” Waverly realised how defensive she was being but she felt she had to be. Gus sat up.  
  
“I’m not so good with my leg any more. They gave me two hundred and fifty bucks because of it. And I get fifty more saved too. And then fifty more by the end of the next month. So, what if I made a deal with you’s two? I could go in with you two and you could have my earnings to go towards it? I can cook alright and I can garden.”  
  
“I gotta think about it. Cole and I were always gonna do it ourselfs.” Waverly said softly.  
  
“I ain’t got too long left. I could write you a will and leave you my money. I ain’t got no one left now Curtis...” She trailed off.  
  
“Well, if you, me and Cole all work another month, we can scrape another hundred and fifty and we could swing her… and then I can try makin’ the rest up outside of here… and you guys sell eggs.” They could do it. They could get the Homestead. “We might be able to do this, we could do it!”  
  
“And I could take my pup over there! He would love it over there, I bet, Lee! I bet!” Nicole started bouncing on her bunk. Waverly smiled.  
  
“Yeah, Coley...” She smiled. As they smiled at each other, voices approached.

“Lee?” Gus asked. Waverly looked over at Gus with a small smile. “I shouldn’t have let them kill Curtis. I shoulda done it...” She said, guiltily.  
  
“I didn’t mean nothin’ by it, Doc...” Champ’s remorseful voice was heard. Doc walked into the bunkhouse and he was immediately followed by Champ, Levi, Fish and Bobo.

“I’m gettin’ sick of your shit, Hardy! You think you’re tough shit, but you’re not, and I wouldn’t go near your wife! So lay off!” He pushed Champ away from him.  
  
“I wondered if you saw her, that’s all!”  
  
“Yeah, sure...” Levi commented.  
  
“You want your ass handed to you, Levi?” Champ turned on him.  
  
“Yeah right, you piece of crap! You couldn’t touch me! You’re too scared!” Fish triggered a laugh from the men. With Nicole still thinking about the ranch, she still had a smile on her face. Champ immediately saw this and walked up to her.  
  
“You laughin’ at me you piece of shit?” He growled. “Get on your feet! I’ll show you who’ll have the last laugh!” He swung at Nicole, hitting her squarely in the jaw and knocking her back as she did a roll backwards off the bed and onto the floor, touching her cheek.  
  
“You think you’re all that!” Champ rained down blows on Nicole’s face as she screamed to Waverly.  
  
“Make him stop Lee! Make him stop!” Nicole’s nose cracked as it broke.  
  
“Fight back, Cole! Fight back!”

 

 _"Hey, hot tits, how's it goin'?" A rough voice broke through the wall of the conversation Waverly and Nicole were currently sharing over two beers (on Waverly's insistance that just because she wore dresses most of the time_ definitely _didn't mean she didn't drink her fair share of whiskey and beer.  
  
_ " _Hey! Have some manners, asshat!" Nicole's recently shorn red locks made her look more masculine- so that she could fit in around a man's world. So, she had put on her best manly voice to be able to ward off the glass eyed creep._

_"And what are you? Her babysitter?" He sneered. His hand found Waverly's bicep and Nicole's jaw clenched. No one was gonna manhandle Waverly like that. "Come on baby, you can give me a dance in my room tonight..." He leaned into her. Waverly fought off a grimace.  
_

_"No thank you. Please leave me alone." She requested, trying to push his arm off her arm- as his grip tightened and it began to hurt._

_"Come on, baby... I can give you everything he probably hasn't." Nicole swallowed, gritting her teeth. This guy really expected that Waverly would go with him over the chance to have some freedom. He was deluded._

_"I believe my good friend told you to leave her alone." Nicole stood from her barstool and looked at the man.  
_

_"What are you gonna do about it, shit stain?" He laughed in her face. She knew then she wanted to do something not particularly pacifist to him. She pulled Waverly behind her and looked at her for a moment, checking she was okay.  
_

_Before she swung her body- and more importantly, her arm- around to sock him square in the jaw. He fell immediately, taking a barstool with him._

_"That's what I'm gonna do about it. She told you to leave her alone. No means no, you bastard!" She breathed, turning back to Waverly. She cupped her jaw._

_"Tucker! Out! You two! Out!" The barkeep yelled. Nicole immediately took Waverly's hand and pulled her outside._

_"Are you alright?" Nicole asked. She looked Waverly in the eye while she pulled off her coat and wrapped it around a shivering Waverly. She would tend to the bruise 'Tucker' would have left when they got back to Earp Ranch, but for now, she pulled Waverly in for a hug._

 

 

Nicole stopped, and listened to Waverly, before catching Champ’s next blow with her hand and punching him herself, not stopping. Waverly realised she was going to kill Champ because she didn’t know when to stop, so she pulled Nicole away, with the help of Doc and Levi. Bobo and Fish pried Champ away onto the table. The side of his face was bruised purple.  
  
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean no harm! He hurt me! You told me to! I promise I wasn’t tryin’ to make trouble, Lee!” Nicole started sobbing and Gus moved to rub her back. Waverly held Nicole’s arms.  
  
“I know, I know, Coley… I know. It wasn’t your fault…” She took the liberty of cupping Nicole’s cheek for a second to reassure her before she stood, turning to Doc. “Is he going to make sure we get sacked?” She asked, looking to Champ, who was whimpering in pain. Doc shook his head. He grabbed Champ by his injured face as Champ moaned in pain.  
  
“You listen here, you shit stain, you fell off a horse wrong and you haven’t got it patched up yet, you hear. Because if you try to get them sacked, we’ll tell them the real story, you understand me?” Champ nodded, sobbing in pain. “Get him to the infirmary.” Doc said, leaving Fish and Levi to take him.  
  
“You and me better go and get some stuff to clear this broke nose and the blood...” Doc said, and Waverly nodded. They walked to the door.  
  
“Lee?”  
  
“Yeah, Coley?”  
  
“Will I still be able to look after Bernie dog?” Nicole asked.

“You ain’t done nothin’ wrong, Cole.”

 

* * *

 

Xavier Dolls kept himself to himself. He knew that he wasn’t wanted around the ranch and he preferred to keep out of the way. Doc was the only one kind enough to spare him a glance. And even that was rare.  
  
But seeing a tall redhead was enough to put him on edge, as he grabbed his pitchfork.  
  
“You ain’t got no right to be in here. These here are my digs!” He said defensively. The redhead looked behind themselves to see who he was talking to. “I’m talking to you!” He said, frustrated.  
  
“I saw your light.” Was all they could say.  
  
“Well you can go now..” He said. The redhead started to move, before thinking against it.  
  
“I came to see my puppy. And Lee’ll come back too...” They said. Dolls rolled his eyes. Why couldn’t they leave him alone?  
  
“Cole? Cole?” A voice rang out. Gus McCready. She found ‘Cole’. “Sorry, Dolls.” She said softly, holding ‘Cole’ by the arm.  
  
“Well he’s already let hisself in.” He grunted.  
  
“We’re gonna have a homestead of our own!” Cole chirped excitedly.  
  
“Cole, you’re not meant to tell!” Gus scolded softly.

“Oh! Not meant to tell!” Cole cupped her mouth.  
  
“How you gonna do that?” Dolls asked.  
  
“What’s it to you?” Gus asked.  
  
“I don’t know. Maybe I could do odd stuff for you. Hoeing and things?” Dolls wondered aloud.  
  
“I don’t know, Dolls.”  
  
“Any of you seen Champ?” Champ’s wife’s voice rang out, and Dolls immediately shrunk.  
  
“No.” Gus said sharply.

“Well, I wanted to know what he bust his head on, cos there sure aren’t no high horses that would do that damage.” She spied the redhead and smiled. “You did it, didn’t ya, big fella!” She looked at Nicole, who stared at her with wide eyes.

“No… she didn’t. It was a _horse dropping him_.” Gus bit out.

“Sure, I’ll believe that when I believe this man ain’t a sack of shit.” She pointed to Dolls.  
  
“You ain’t got no right comin’ into my rooms. These are a black man’s rooms.” Dolls said in hushed tones. She stepped towards Dolls, with a sneer.

“Mind you keep your place, because I can have you strung up on that there nearest tree easy as pie. All I gotta do is scream.” She growled. Dolls shrunk back down.  
  
“You let him alone you foul birdy!” Gus hissed. “We know the truth, you witch!”  
  
“And who’s going to believe a black man, a cripple and an ancient bitch?" She challenged Gus with a sneer, before plastering on a smile and looking at the red head. "Anyway, I’m glad you took care of my husband...” She told Nicole, before turning on her heel and leaving.  
  
“She shouldn’ta spoke to you like that, Dolls.”  
  
“I’m used to it.” He said.  
  
“Coley! Are you in the barn?” Waverly’s voice rang out.  
  
“Over in here, Lee!” She shouted back, practically bouncing.  
  
“What are you doin’ in Dolls’ quarters?” She asked. “You coulda told him to leave?”  
  
“Why? He ain’t makin’ no harm to me.” He replied.

Waverly pulled Nicole out of the room. Gus turned to leave.  
  
“McCready? Whatever I said about doing you jobs..” Gus nodded.

“Forget it.”

 

* * *

 

Nicole pawed through the hay to sit with the little puppy she was holding. Outside, the sounds of the men (and Waverly) playing horseshoes were energetic and lively. Nicole didn’t pay any mind to any of it, as she picked up the pup she had and patted his head. But he was unresponsive. She shook him softly, and he didn’t move.  
  
“Oh no. Why you gotta get killed? Huh? I didn’t shake you! I didn’t hurt you! You not as little as the little mouses I seen, so why you so easy to kill?” She ran her fingers through the hay, pushing the puppy into the hole she had made in between the straw. “I’m gon’ get in trouble for this and I told Lee no trouble! I promised! Lee’s gonna be mad at me! I can tell ‘m I found you dead!”  
  
Realising there would be nothing from the pup, she dropped it in the hole forcefully, before her anger over took her and she pulled it out, to shake it.  
  
“But Lee’ll know I done it! Lee’ll not let me tend to Bernie dog no more! And it’s your fault, stupid son of a bitch dog!” She threw the pup back in the hole and covered him over. “You didn’t mean nothin' to Lee! But that won't matter!"  
  
“Whatcha got there?” Champ’s wife rounded the corner to see Nicole. She immediately straightened and took off her cap.  
  
“My friend says I ain’t allowed to talk to you otherwise I’ll get a sock from the nasty man!” Nicole said, folding her arms and crossing her legs.  
  
“Well, the _nasty man’s_ still pretty busted from when you socked him. And I know it was you. No horse could rear and leave him with a fall so great he has to see with one eye now, ‘stead’a two.” She said.  
  
“No sir, I ain’t speakin’!” Nicole said, turning her back to Champ’s wife. Champ’s wife sighed.  
  
“Nobody speaks to me. Nobody ain’t allowed to. I can only talk to Champ or my pa. Cos otherwise, Champ gets mad.” She moved around to look at Nicole. “But everyone’s havin’ a game out there. They don’t have to know you talked to me.” She said, hopefully. “What is that?” She asked, pointing to the hay.

“My pup.” Champ’s wife clawed back the hay and touched the dead puppy.  
  
“But he’s dead...”

“I was playin’ chase and he hid and I found him but I told him not’ta do that again. I musta shook ‘m too hard.”

“Don’t worry, it ain’t like you can’t get another’un.” She patted Nicole’s shoulder.  
  
“But Lee won’t let me have Bernie dog now.” Nicole looked down at the ground, pouting like a child.  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Cos Lee said I ain’t to do trouble otherwise I don’t get to tend Bernie dog.” She whispered.

“Don’t worry ‘bout him. Talkin’ ain’t a crime.” Champ’s wife whispered back.  
  
“But Lee said I would get in trouble if I talked to you.” Nicole protested.  
  
“So I ain’t got a right to talk to whoever I want?” Champ’s wife retorted sharply. Nicole recoiled slightly, looking down at her knees. “I used to talk whenever. I used to sing down at the country house. And I met a feller who promised he’d make me a star. I’d be on the radio and ever’thin.” She gushed. “But my pa wouldn’t let me. And I had to marry Champ and he ain’t a nice guy.”

“Maybe if I throwed out the puppy, Lee wouldn’t know and I could still have Bernie dog!” She smiled.

“What is it with you and this goddamn Bernie dog?” Champ’s wife spat angrily. “I don’t wanna hear about goddamn Bernie dog!” Nicole shrank.  
  
“I just like soft things… like hair… is yours soft?” Nicole asked, moving her hand to brush through Champ’s wife’s hair. “It’s soft. I like it.”  
  
“Don’t you go messin’ it up! Took a lot to get it to curl jus’ right!” She said, as Nicole continued to stroke the hair. “Now you stop! You stop! Let go!” Nicole’s hands slipped down to cover her mouth as she pulled the screaming woman to her, to stop her- her face was contorted with fright.  
  
“Don’t shout! Lee’ll come and the nasty man'll gimme hell for talkin’ to you! Like I said!” Nicole cried out. “I don’t wanna get hell!” When she was met with no more resistance, she dropped the woman, who fell directly onto the hay. Nicole had deprived her of air. She had killed her.  
  
“Lady?” She asked, poking the corpse. She realised her mistake and her eyes widened. “Oh no! No, no! You can’t be killed too!” She panicked. “I’m gonna get in so much trouble!” She pawed over the hay to cover the woman’s body, before retreating, running. “I gotta get to that there forest!” She broke out into a run.  
  
“Coley? Coley, you in here?” A voice called out. Gus walked in, with a small yapping puppy at her heel. “Coley?” She saw the body of Champ’s wife. “S’cuse me, ma’am, for interruptin’ a slumber but have you seen Cole?” She asked, but stopped herself five feet short of the body. “Ma’am?” She asked. Reaching out to touch the girl’s shoulder, she realised. She was dead. She rolled the woman over and immediately spotted the dead puppy underneath.  
  
“Oh, Jesus!” Gus’s form retreated and came straight back, with Waverly in tow. Waverly walked over to the girl and realised. “Champ’s gonna have ‘er lynched. He’s a mean machine.” Gus whispered.  
  
“I shoulda never fell in love with her. She’d be alright now, if she hadn’t taken that goddamn bullet for me. I shoulda been the one brain damaged. Not her.” Waverly sighed.  
  
“Lee? Where’d you go to?” Doc walked into the barn. He saw Waverly crouched by the body. “What done her in?” He questioned. Waverly looked at the floor. He knew. Cole.  
  
“Hey! A tournament’s a tourn-” Champ’s words died in his throat as he spotted his wife. “The hell killed my lady… was it that tall son of a bitch that clobbered me?” He growled. “I’m gonna kill ‘em! We’re gonna sit and watch 'em choke!” He roared.  
  
“Champ. I know where he mighta gone.” Waverly said softly.  
  
“Then what are you waitin’ for? Help us find the son-of-a-bitch!” He spat.  
  
“No. I ain’t helping you kill my friend. All I’m askin’ is that you allow me to handle him. I know best how to, unless you want another eye swollen shut.” She bargained. Champ laughed in her face.  
  
“You handled him real swell here! He killed my goddamn wife!” Champ barked.  
  
“I swear he didn’t mean to. He don’t know the difference. And all I’m askin’ is for you to let me sort him. Because he’s been my pal for years and I need to do this.” Waverly explained.  
  
"You think I'm gonna let you have an hour with your stupid clunk of a man child, then you're wrong!" He waved his hands around, knocking her hat to the floor and allowing her hair to spill out. Everyone looked at her in shock. "You're a woman!"

"Come on, Champ. Let the girl say goodbye." Doc reasoned. Champ looked at Waverly, then to Doc, then back to Waverly again.  
  
“You got an hour to find him. If he ain’t dead by nightfall, I’ll shoot him in his head and then you too.” Waverly nodded. She walked out of the barn.  


* * *

 

The forest was eerily quiet as Nicole trudged through the small lake to get to the part of the forest they had set up camp in a few nights prior. Nicole sat down, pulling her knees to her chest. It was still light, but she could tell night was about to fall.  
  
“I’m sorry, Lee… I didn’t mean’ta.” She rocked herself backwards and forwards, trying to escape the feeling of dread that threatened to drown her. She was terrified. Of what Lee would say, of what the nasty man would say, of _everything.  
_  
“Coley!” A voice rang out, as Nicole turned around to see Waverly walking down the hillside towards the bank. Towards her. She was carrying something on her arm. It was a blanket.  
  
“I’m sorry, Lee! I didn’t know she was gonna get killed. I just wanted her to be quiet because she wouldn’ stop talkin’ to me! And I know you said that if I talked to her the nasty man’d give me hell, and I didn’t want that.” Lee looked sympathetically at her.  
  
“That’s alright, Coley. But now we’re stuck.” She sighed.  
  
“What are we gonna do… to not get stuck?” Nicole questioned. Waverly looked down at her feet, before walking completely over to Nicole and crouching.  
  
“Not much we can do. Stay here, and wait, I guess.” She whispered softly. She touched her forehead to Nicole’s. She closed her eyes for a second, feeling her pulse throb in her head.  
  
“Lee? I’m scared.” Nicole whispered back, curling in on herself again. “I don’t like bein’ scared.” She was on the verge of tears. Waverly knew this was it.  
  
“Tell ya what, if you look over there, at the lake, I’ll tell you of the Homestead story again.” She said softly. Nicole immediately turned to look at the lake. Waverly softly wrapped the blanket around Nicole’s shoulders, placing her head on her right shoulder, trying to steady herself for what she was about to do.  
  
“Okay! I’m ready for the story!” Nicole smiled.

 

“ _Okay, I’m ready!” Waverly’s voice came around the corner as Nicole chuckled. She had just finished laying the table. Mrs Tate had helped her cook a nice meal for her and Waverly to enjoy, and she spent the entire afternoon setting up the barn for it. She moved around the barn, to see Waverly looking at her.  
  
“Okay, get ready, baby.” She said softly. She covered Waverly’s eyes and walked her in. “Three.. two… one…” She uncovered her hands and Waverly saw all of Nicole’s efforts. “A nice slap up meal for my sweetheart.” Nicole watched for Waverly’s reaction. Waverly had never been so touched.  
  
“I love it, sweetie pie, I love it so much!” She squealed in delight.  
_

_  
Once all the food had been eaten and all the wine had been drunk, they danced in the glow of the last light of the day, their music was all around them. The songs of the night birds, the chirps of the crickets, the calm air that told of night.  
  
“Are you happy, Waverly?” Nicole asked softly. Waverly smiled, and nodded, her head tucked into Nicole’s neck. “Good.” She smiled, before pulling away from Waverly and reaching into her pocket for a small ring. She dropped to her knees.  
  
“I know it ain’t much, because I can’t afford much, but I’d give you every last dime if I could. And I love you so much, Waverly. Will you marry me?” She asked softly. _

_And of course the answer had been yes. It would always be yes. They kissed and danced for hours as the night pushed in. And when Wynonna awoke the next morning, she found the barn wasn’t empty- as she found her sister and her lover laid together, on a blanket._

 

Waverly’s head found Nicole’s shoulder for a second to breathe, before she lifted it and began, albeit on a shaky voice that was laden with unshed tears. But Nicole didn’t seem to notice.  
  
“Gals like us, we don’t come from nothing. We have a start in life. And we’re gonna get a ranch, bigger than this one. Bigger than anything around here. We’re gonna have a homestead to call our own. Land. Acres and acres of it-” She cut herself off to take a breath. To ease the lump in her throat that stopped her words from coming out.  
  
“And we ain’t gonna get tired!” Nicole chirped.

“No, that’s right. We ain’t never gonna get tired of the land we love. We’ll have some little rap scallions running about the place. We’re gonna have so much love in our little family that we won’t want for nothing. We’ll work the land. We’ll sell our crop, and bring a hefty share back in. We’ll never go hungry again. We’ll have a dog named Bernie, and a cat named Calamity… we won’t...”

Waverly opened her mouth to speak but it took a few moments for her brain to catch up to alleviate the tension that stopped her from speaking. “We won’t… never be lonely or sad. We’ll have a barn for the animals, and we’ll teach em everything. We’ll train dogs. And we’ll ride horses. You’ll teach and look after Bernie.”  
  
“Yeah! I will! I’ll be the best damn looker afterer ever!” Nicole giggled. Waverly cocked her gun hammer back, as quietly as possible, rising from her crouched position. Shw felt a lump in her throat as her hand shook.  
  
“We’ll be married. In that little barn. Cole Haught and Waverly Earp will become Cole and Waverly Haught. I promise you, we’ll get there...” Waverly trailed off for a second, aiming the gun at the back of Nicole’s head.  
  
“Oh! Oh! I know this bit Lee!” Waverly knew Nicole knew. She waited for her to say it. Some part of her neede to hear it from Nicole’s lips. “Because you love me and I love you, Waverly Earp-” Nicole was cut off. The gunshot rang out as Nicole’s body fell sideways and collapsed onto the leaves. Her eyes were closed and her arms came up tightly.  
  
Waverly looked at the gun in her hand. She looked at the small bleeding hole in the back of Nicole’s neck and tears spilled over her cheeks. She had hurt the one person she loved. She had killed her. She reared her arm back.  
  
The gun landed in the lake with a splash as Waverly dropped down to her knees, grabbing Nicole’s face and cradling it on her lap softly. The red hair was now matted with fresh blood. Waverly hugged Nicole as tightly as she could, pressing a kiss to the rapidly chilling lips of her dead lover.  
  
“I love you, I’m so sorry...” She sniffed. She pulled the blanket tighter around Nicole and rocked herself and Nicole’s body in her arms, the only thing to help her heart ache any less- not that it mattered. It was breaking into a million pieces anyway.  
  
“Waverly?” Doc’s voice called. Waverly watched as he made his way down to her and knelt beside her.  
  
“I had to… I had to do it so Champ wouldn’t. She trusted me and I killed her, but I had to...” Doc’s arm held Waverly to him as he rubbed her back. 

"You... you did the right thing, Waverly. She couldn't keep on like this." He looked down to Nicole, who looked so peaceful.

"But she needed me and I wasn't there. I was too busy playing that stupid tournament." She sobbed.

"You were there when it mattered. She's at peace now, Waverly. She ain't hurtin' no more. She ain't gonna have to worry no more. And she wouldn't blame you." He comforted.

"But-"

"But nothin'. Come on, come away..." He whispered. He helped her up and hugged her tightly.

"My wife died. Of tuberculosis. She was a beauty. Rosita. And she asked me to put her out of her misery when the time came. And I did. I never felt grief like in that moment. But I knew she was at rest." He said softly, running his rough fingers delicately through her hair. "Sometimes, it makes all the difference. Doesn't mean it hurts any less."

They stood there for a few moments. Waverly couldn't bear to look at her dead lover on the floor. But Doc pulled away, walking back up the hill to retrieve something. He walked back down and he held up a shovel.

“We should bury her...” He whispered and Waverly nodded.

 

* * *  


So that was how they spent the evening, digging a hole and burying Cole. Waverly had never felt so empty. She regretted everything.

In the morning, she packed up and left, without a word to anyone. She didn’t want or need pity. Champ had found out she was a girl and had laughed in her face. She didn’t need it to continue through to the morning too.  
  
As she started up the dirt track out of Nedley Ranch on her own, she held the only thing she had left of her Nicole. A journal, that told of her love for Nicole, and Nicole’s love in return. The blanket had been buried with Nicole, because despite her being dead, Waverly needed to feel like she was in some way taken care of.  
  
Nights were the worst, as she remembered the worst night of her life. But when she’d become sad, she pulled out the journal and read the memories. Nicole was always so beautiful. She’d cherished the day they became engaged. But she longed for the day when they could have been married.  
  
On one particular night, Waverly became embroiled with self hate and regret. So she did what she always did, she sat up, resting against her bindle- and she began to read. Read of the day that they finally admitted they liked each other. She remembered the day well. She wished she could go back.

 

_Waverly watched as Nicole put the last wood support up, and she stepped back to admire her handiwork. A thin layer of sweat covered her, as Waverly almost dropped both of the water canteens she had been holding.  
  
“You look like you need a drink!” She called and Nicole smiled when she saw her. Clambering down the ladder, she took along gulp. She smiled at Nicole.  
  
“So, any plans tonight, Miss Waverly?” She asked softly.  
  
“No, why?”  
  
“Because a certain red head.." She gestured to herself. "Would love to take out a certain small Earp brunette out for a drink of something a little stronger than water.” She smiled.  
  
“I’d like that.” Waverly said softly._

 

_Hours later, they returned from the local bar, smiling and laughing together. Nicole had insisted on walking Waverly back to the house, and she stood with her hands on her pockets.  
  
“So this is my stop.”  
  
“It is.” Nicole nodded along.  
  
“So, I’ll see you tomorrow, Nicole?” She asked, hopefully._

_Nicole nodded softly, turning to leave to go back to the bunkhouse. But before she could even make it three paces, Waverly grabbed her arm and pulled her in for a soft kiss._

“ _Make sure you see me tomorrow.” Waverly rephrased and Nicole nodded softly, chuckling breathlessly, as Waverly pulled her into another searing kiss..._

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, congratulations. This is an idea I wanted to try. And I wanted to experiment with the thought of 'what if Nicole was Lennie and Waverly was George?' And this was the result. A short piece based on John Steinbeck's classic. 
> 
> If you could, please leave a non-hateful message to tell me whether I captured the story or not. If not, please give me constructive criticism. 
> 
> Thank you!  
> ~AvocadoHaught


End file.
